Secrets of The Past
by TheRedeemer1995
Summary: Rebootverse. Four years after the events with the Deplanetizer, Aleero City finds itself under attack by an army of Drophyds led by the leader of the Cragmite Empire, Percival Tachyon. Their target: none other than Ratchet himself. Aided by their fellow Galactic Rangers, Ratchet and Clank travel to the Polaris Galaxy to defeat Tachyon and solve the riddle of the Lombax Secret.
1. Invasion

_**Greetings, prospective readers, and welcome to my latest Ratchet and Clank creation, which merges Tools of Destruction with the Rebootverse! I figured this would be a fun idea, because then I can use each planet from the game as a single chapter, and all I really need to do is add some additional scenes and dialogue, and presto! Also, I can indeed confirm that Alister Azimuth will be making an early appearance as well, and that my version of A Crack In Time will actually be the third installment (fourth counting the movie/game), following the merger between Up Your Arsenal and Going Commando. Also, yes, this chapter does use a LOT of elements from my Enter the Netherverse project, but since I've scrapped that project in favor of this one, it was easier for me to use parts of that project for this one. Well, that's enough babble, let's begin!**_

 _ **UPDATE: Hey guys. Well, after stumbling upon an author by the username of TheLilyofTheValley after reading her Ratchet and Clank oneshot entitled Snow Globes, I learned that she had a very similar idea to this one. So, when I showed her this one in the hopes of starting a friendship, to find that she was very unhappy was a surprise to say the least because she'd had that idea for more than a year. That being said, I would like to personally assure my readers that this is completely and entirely my own idea, and is in no way shape or form influenced by Lily's idea, and I apologize for any confusion I caused.**_

 _Chapter I: Invasion_

 _Aleero City-Planet Kerwan-Formerly Known As Metropolis..._

A tall and well-built nineteen-year old Lombax with yellow fur and bright green eyes; clad in a black, silver, and orange Protosuit Mark III, with the symbol of the Galactic Rangers emblazoned on its chest, looked out over the city from its perch on a skyscraper rooftop. This was Captain Ratchet, head of the Galactic Rangers and Savior of Solanna. Everywhere he looked, there were billboards proudly displaying him alongside those he once considered his heroes, but now considered his closest friends and allies. Cora Veralux, a Markazian woman who shot first and asked questions when she was good and ready, Brax "The Brute" Lectrus, a former pro-wrestler who had become a Galactic Ranger, Elaris, who was the brains of the outfit, Qwark, who, after betraying the Rangers during the Deplanetizer incident, had been demoted to the rank of Private and spent some time in the slammer for it, and of course, Ratchet's partner in heroics, the defective warbot called Clank. Ratchet owed everything he now had to Clank. If he hadn't crashed on Veldin when he did, Ratchet never would've been able to play his part in saving Aleero City, the Galactic Rangers, and most certainly wouldn't have been able to thwart Chairman Drek and Dr. Nefarious' sinister schemes and destroy the Deplanetizer.

Ratchet frowned as something came to his mind. Over the last four years, there had been rumors circulating that Dr. Nefarious had not only survived the destruction of the Deplanetizer, but had somehow become a robot, and was currently orchestrating a mechanical uprising with the aid of Courtney Gears, a race of talented pilots known as the Valkyries, and a vicious race of creatures known as the Tyhrranoids. Ratchet and his fellow Rangers had dismissed these rumors of course, knowing there was no way Nefarious could still be alive when both Qwark and himself had actually _seen_ him die after Ratchet had slammed the blunt edge of his OmniWrench against the side of his skull, causing his weapon to fire on himself as the mad scientist fell into the Star Cracker core. Although, he had to admit, there was something a bit iffy about Courtney Gears' new single…

" _Ahem, Ratchet? May I ask how long we are going to be standing here?"_ asked Clank, who was attached to the back of Ratchet's Protosuit, acting as a thruster pack.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Clank, I was just thinking," said Ratchet, snapping back to the matter at hand before jumping off the rooftop while Clank activated his thrusters, allowing Ratchet to take to the skies and weave through traffic like a majestic bird. A majestic bird who knew every fighting style and was a master of heavy weaponry, stealth, ballroom dancing, and origami. Within a matter of moments, Ratchet and Clank had landed in front of the Hall of Heroes, where a large golden statue of himself and Clank greeted visitors.

Ratchet took a deep breath and entered the Hall of Heroes, making his way through the building. The past four years that had past since the Deplanetizer incident had actually been rather peaceful for him and the Galactic Rangers. First, they'd had the daunting task of helping those who'd lost their homes in the Novalis disaster find a new place to call home, since Drek's New Quartu had apparently been destroyed. Then, they'd searched for Chairman Drek himself to no avail, followed swiftly by chasing down an escaped criminal by the name of Shiv Helix. These days, however, they'd been called upon to help with relief efforts caused by a natural disaster of some kind. Apart from that, the Solana Galaxy had been enjoying its longest period of uninterrupted peace. It was almost as though no one actually needed a hero right now.

 _Well, when they cry out for one again, the Galactic Rangers will answer,_ thought Ratchet as he stepped through the door to the Break Room.

 _Kerwan Orbit-Cue Bad Guy Introduction in 3… 2… 1._

A small fleet of warships drew close to planet Kerwan, maintaining enough distance to avoid being detected by the planet's long-range detection systems. Onboard the largest and most heavily armed of the warships, two creatures, both of them males, gazed upon planet Kerwan with cold expressions on their faces. One of them was a Markazian and had short black hair, icy blue eyes, and wore black full-body combat armor with a belt bearing an insignia, black leather gloves, black boots, and a black cape. His name was Aldrin Marek, High Commander of the Cragmite Empire and the Emperor's right hand. The second creature who stood beside the High Commander was none other than the small, insect-like Cragmite Emperor himself, Percival Tachyon.

"Well, we've arrived, Your Excellence. The Drophyds are getting into position. We can begin the planetary assault whenever you wish, merely give the signal," said Aldrin.

Tachyon said nothing for a moment, but merely gazed out upon the planet, a thousand thoughts racing through his labyrinthian mind. Somewhere down there was the last known Lombax in the universe. For years Tachyon had thought he'd wiped them all off the face of the universe, justice for what they'd done to not only his parents and any siblings he might've had, but his entire race. True, Azimuth, whom he'd once played like a harp, was still at large, but he'd hidden himself rather well, and while he'd heard rumors of an unknown Lombax vigilante operating in the Bogan Galaxy, no one could confirm or deny if it was indeed a Lombax. But, this one, who Tachyon had instantly recognized as the son of the Keeper of the Lombax Secret, had so recklessly plastered himself across billboards, candy bars, toys, and video games that there was no way he could've stayed hidden from the Emperor's wrath for long. And that, to Tachyon, was simply splendid.

When Tachyon finally spoke, he merely uttered a few brief sentences. "Ready my personal battle cruiser. I want that Lombax to look at me when I kill him. I want to see the light leave that furball's eyes. Just like I did with his father before him."

 _Hall of Heroes Break Room-Several Minutes Until All Hell Breaks Loose…_

"Ha ha! Qwark's in a tutu!" laughed Brax Lectrus, a burly beast clad in his Protosuit Mark III as he played through one of the Galactic Rangers vid-comics on the Hall of Heroes Break Room's Insomniac VG-9000 while the real Qwark, who was clad in his usual green and black superhero-esque Protosuit, looked completely and utterly embarrassed in the background, while Cora Veralux, a Markazian woman clad in her normal attire of a bodysuit of white, blue, and grey with black leather boots snorted nearby.

"Pfft, it's not as bad as me in that sumo wrestler costume… I'd love to smack the guy who thought that was a good idea in the head with my OmniWrench," said Ratchet.

" _I actually thought I looked rather dashing in that tuxedo costume. Like some sort of secret agent,"_ said Clank before a thoughtful look crossed his face. " _Hmm… Secret Agent Clank does have a certain ring to it. Hehehehehe,"_ the defective warbot chuckled while Ratchet rolled his eyes in amusement.

Before anyone could say or do anything further, a violent explosion rocked the Hall of Heroes, nearly sending everyone flying off their feet. A moment later, a female voice came on the Hall of Heroes' intercom. " _Rangers! We have a situation! Aleero City is under attack! There's an army of heavily armed robotic commandos headed this way!"_ said the voice of Elaris, the Galactic Rangers' Tactical Support and Weapons Specialist before the feed went dead.

Clank looked thoughtful for a moment. " _Hmm… heavily armed robotic commandos?"_ he said.

"Just the way I like 'em," said Brax, telequipping his Pyro Blaster.

"And besides, Clank, when _aren't_ robotic commandos heavily armed?" asked Ratchet. "All right, rangers, mount up! We got a city under siege, Qwark, Cora, you help with search and rescue. Brax, you, me, and Clank will fight off the invaders, Elaris, see if you can hack into the enemy's transmissions, if they so much as sneeze I want to know about it."

"Roger!" said the rest of the Galactic Rangers before they departed to perform their assigned tasks.

As they made their way through the halls of the Hall of Heroes, Ratchet, Clank, and Brax ran directly into the robotic commandos, which began to look less like robotic commandos and more like an army of fish people controlling mechanized battle suits. Fish people who seemed particularly interested in killing Ratchet over Brax, if their lines of fire were anything to go by. Ratchet and Brax were quickly able to destroy the invaders' battle suits and make their way out of the Hall of Heroes.

What they saw on the other side made their jaws drop in sheer horror. The entire city was in a state of sheer anarchy and chaos. Entire buildings and countless lives were destroyed in a single, powerful laser blast as entire families were herded together and promptly executed.

Before Brax, Ratchet, or Clank could say or do anything further, Elaris' voice came on over their comlinks. " _Rangers, I've managed to hack into the enemy's communications. Listen to this,"_ she said before a second, male voice came on the comlink.

" _-Lombax must be here somewhere. Obliterate this pathetic city, and bring back his head for the Emperor!"_

" _Hmm… from the sound of that transmission, I believe you may be their intended target, Ratchet,"_ said Clank.

"That's what I was thinking," said Ratchet solemnly, realizing that every single life lost today was his fault, because some psychotic Emperor was trying to find him and kill him. _I need to get off this planet and hope these guys follow me,_ thought Ratchet before he spoke aloud. "Brax, Clank, go and find Cora and Qwark. I'll handle the invaders. That's an order," Ratchet added when Brax gave him a questioning look.

Brax nodded and took off, but Clank remained right where he stood. " _Apologies, Captain, but I do not believe I will be going anywhere,"_ the warbot defect declared.

Ratchet couldn't help but give a small smile as Clank climbed onto his usual position on his back. "We need to find a way off this planet, and hope that this Emperor guy and his flunkies follow us. "

" _You called?"_

Almost as if on cue, a squadron of the fish people appeared and surrounded Ratchet and Clank, their cannons armed and poised to fire.

" _Say good night, space rat. Just know this in your final moments. This was nothing personal, but The Emperor's the one who calls the sho-wha-huh?,"_ said the commando, only to realize that Ratchet and Clank had disappeared. Looking up, the commando saw that the duo had grappled up onto an overhead gravtrain rail, and were currently grinding away from what was unmistakably The Emperor's personal cruiser hot on his heels, causing him to smile.

"Whoa!" cried Ratchet as the cruiser behind him fired its plasma cannons at him, forcing him to jump between a series of different railings, avoiding gravtrains as he did so. Until that is, a well-placed blast from the cruiser sent Ratchet and Clank falling from the railing and into traffic.

Ratchet heaved a sigh as he and his companion fell, narrowly avoiding speeders, hoverbikes, hovercrafts (several of which seemed to be powered by multiple electric eels) and other futuristic vehicles as people did everything they could to escape the invasion. _They just HAD to invade during rush hour, didn't they?_ the Lombax thought as he narrowly avoided colliding with a hover truck before spotting a small landing platform.

Adjusting the position of his body, Ratchet, with the help of Clank's Heli Pack, was able to land safely on the landing platform, where Clank dismounted the Lombax's back… only to hear the sound of weapons cocking. Looking up, Ratchet saw that he had landed directly in the center of a circle of enemy commandos.

Helpless, Ratchet could only watch as the cruiser that had been chasing Clank and himself came in for a landing and the back hatch opened, revealing the form of a massive three-legged throne carrying a small, insect-like alien wearing a military dress uniform and a crown that looked to be slightly bigger than his head. In his free hand, he carried a scepter.

"Behold! The last known Lombax in the universe. A truly pathetic specimen of the race, I'm afraid. So weak," sneered the alien.

"And I assume you're the Emperor responsible for this unprovoked attack on my city?" asked Ratchet.

"Indeed I am," sneered the alien before standing proud and tall. "Emperor Percival Tachyon. Crown Prince of the Cragmites, conquer of space and time, and, pending the obliteration of a few insubordinate species, Ruler of the Universe!"

Ratchet and Clank couldn't help but laugh at not only how ludicrous Tachyon's claims were, but how funny his name was. "Your name's Percival?" the Lombax laughed.

"EMPEROR!" bellowed Tachyon, causing Ratchet to cover his ears. "See the crown?! See the scepter?! The giant walking throne and the legion of loyal robotic commandos? EMPEROR!"

Tachyon then took a breath to calm himself. "Not that a treacherous furball like you could ever…" Tachyon said before catching sight of Clank, who had stepped in front of Ratchet. "What's this? Heh heh, such a primitive robotic companion. And your kind used to be such renowned engineers."

"Oh, I'd be careful if I were you. He's got plaso-morphic blaster cannons on each fingertip," lied Ratchet as Clank took a combative stance, causing several of the commandos to falter and back away.

Tachyon glared at both Ratchet and Clank. "My gripe is not with this archaic planet, but with you! Surrender your… deathbot, and simply allow us to kill you. No one else need be harmed," the Emperor said.

"All right then. Catch!" said Ratchet as he used his OmniWrench to launch Clank onto the open ramp of the cruiser directly behind Tachyon, causing everyone present to look in that direction. Acting quickly, Ratchet deployed a Groovitron, forcing everyone present to start dancing uncontrollably, allowing the Lombax to join Clank on the ship and use it to make his escape.

 _ **And cut! Whoo boy, that was a lot of typing. Anyways, stay tuned for the aftermath of the Drophyd invasion, as well as Ratchet and Clank's misadventures on Cobalia. And be sure to leave a fave, follow, and review, like all the kids these days who love their social medias, and Praise Nefarious!**_


	2. Planet Cobalia

_**Greetings, prospective readers, and welcome back to Secrets of The Past! Last chapter got us off to a pretty decent start, and that's all the more reason for me to continue working on this puppy! Anyways, enough babble, let's begin!**_

 _Chapter II: Planet Cobalia_

 _Hall of Heroes Intelligence Center-Now An Actual Intelligence Center_

"So, where are they?" demanded Cora as she, Qwark, and Brax stood gathered around a large screen as a female alien with light blue skin with dark blue markings along her face and hands, which were dancing upon several keyboards, and green eyes. She also had two dark blue horns that curved downward from the back of her head, and was clad in a black and white jumpsuit with dark blue boots. This was Elaris, the Galactic Rangers Weapons and Tactical Support Specialist. Ratchet and Clank had disappeared during the invasion of Aleero City, which had been successfully thwarted about fifteen minutes ago, though those commanding the assault had evaded capture. The Rangers were still able to pick up Ratchet's nav-unit signal, ruling out the possibility he had died in assault.

"Hang on, I'm pinpointing the signal… got it! Looks like they're on a ship headed for the… Polaris Galaxy?" said Elaris, confused.

"That's one rough neighborhood from what I here. There's a Civil War that's been going on there for the better part of nineteen years between that Emperor Tachyon guy, as in the one who just laid waste to Aleero City, and Free Polaris," said Brax.

"And worse yet, the Galactic Rangers have no authority there, since its another galaxy. It's under the protection of the Polaris Defense Force," added Elaris.

"Actually, that's not entirely true," said Qwark. "You see, the Polaris Defense Force is actually the Polaris Galaxy division of the Galactic Rangers. They're led by my older, lees-strapping brother, Commander Hadron. He lives in Meridian City on Planet Igliak. I'm sure he wouldn't mind us paying a visit, especially if we lend a hand with the Tachyon problem. And besides, Tachyon's assault on Aleero City today is unquestionably an act of war, and that's fair game in my book."

The other Rangers looked at each other, thinking Qwark's reasoning over. Finally, after they had all reached the same conclusion, Cora spoke up.

"Well… anyone up for a road trip?"

 _Meanwhile, on Emperor Tachyon's Cruiser-Fuel Levels At 52%..._

As Ratchet and Clank settled into the pilot's seats of the ship's controls, the computer spoke up. " _Auto pilot engaged."_

"Whoa! Hang on, Clank!" Ratchet shouted as he and Clank immediately strapped themselves in.

 _"Hyperspace boosters online,"_ the computer continued. " _Engaging cryosleep."_

As a strange gas began filtering out of grills on the control console, Ratchet scoffed in disbelief. "Cryosleep? No, no, no, there's no way I'm gonna-" Ratchet said, only to be instantly conked out.

Clank grinned. " _It is fortunate cryosleep does not work on robots."_ As he began to chuckle, a panel on the control console popped open and he received a punching glove on a spring to the face, slamming him into his chair. _"Clever girl..."_ Clank said before he slumped into unconsciousness.

 _"Cryosleep engaged,"_ the computer asserted firmly, and more than a little smugly.

 _?_

 _Clank was flying through the air like a bird in the sky through an unknown city. Guiding him were three small alien creatures that, despite not recognizing them in his database, he somehow knew were called the Zoni. They seemed to give off an ethereal blue glow as they led him to his destination, a large building that was very heavily protected by Tachyon's soldiers and several weapons encampments. A nearby sign called the building "The Hall of Knowledge."_

" _His past is inside. It holds the key to the salvation of the universe from their vengeance," the Zoni said in unison._

 _Back In Reality…_

"Clank! Clank!" called Ratchet, causing the small robot to come to. "Are you okay? You got knocked out there for a minute."

" _I am… fine,"_ said Clank as Ratchet fixed his antenna. " _Where are we?"_

"No idea. The ship must've run out of fuel while on autopilot," said Ratchet. Looking around, the duo saw that the planet was lush and fertile, and they seemed to have crashed in a jungle segment not far from a city, or at least what looked like a spaceport, it was hard to say from this distance. Checking his personal weapons locker, Ratchet saw that he only had access to his Combustor, Fusion Grenades, and Groovitron that he'd been using previously on his armor's new Quick Select function, and he was too far away from the Hall of Heroes and the _Phoenix_ to telequip additional weapons from the Galactic Rangers' arsenal, meaning that he would have to purchase additional weapons with his own bolts.

"Come on," Ratchet said. "We need to find another ship and get back to Kerwan."

Nodding in agreement, Clank leapt onto Ratchet's back. At first, the path seemed rather straightforward. The only hostile lifeforms were small reptilian creatures that resembled baby dinosaurs that could be defeated with a single swing of the OmniWrench. Although, there was a larger hostile lifeform that resembled a giant centipede and spat explosive balls of acid. These creatures took several more hits to take down.

Though the terrain was varied, the path continued to be fairly straightforward, and was relatively easy for the Galactic Rangers to traverse. However, the ease of travel that the duo had been enjoying was disturbed when a massive creature reared up out of a deep pit and let out a mighty roar in their general direction. It resembled a large fish that hovered in midair, a large part of the underside of its body glowing blue, with the top side being stone brown. It didn't actually attack them, but it gave the Lombax and his robotic companion a fright nonetheless.

"W-what was that?" Ratchet asked.

" _I do not know, but perhaps, instead of attempting to find out, we should continue with our efforts to get off this planet,"_ Clank offered.

Ratchet nodded in agreement before pressing onward. As the duo made their way further along, continuing to follow the path and dispatching the hostile lifeforms they came across, they stumbled upon a large box that resembled a pirate's treasure chest filled with crystals that Ratchet and Clank both recognized as Raritanium.

"Finders keepers," Ratchet decided, stowing the Raritanium away in his armor's dimensional storage space for future use.

As they progressed further on, the creature from before arose to attack the two Galactic Rangers. It swam through the air, dropping spheres of electrically explosive energy, while occasionally diving down to try and bite them or spit acidic energy at them. Ratchet focused on using the Combustor and his Fusion Grenades to deliver damage. Before long, the beast's body swelled before exploding, destroying a small wall and opening the path forward as a sphere of blue light and gas found its way into Ratchet's inventory, along with a large amount of Raritanium that fell out of the creature's body.

 _"Congratulations,"_ Ratchet's nav unit spoke up. " _You have collected a Leviathan Soul. These are valuable in the Polaris Galaxy, and can be traded for bolts."_

"I guess it was called a Leviathan," Ratchet said.

 _"And we are apparently in the Polaris Galaxy,"_ Clank pointed out. " _That would imply that we are close to the Zero Coordinates, then."_

"Zero Coordinates?" Ratchet asked, confused.

 _"The hypothetical center of the universe, from which all of the cosmos is measured in terms of the coordinate grid,"_ Clank explained. _"Many have tried to reach the Zero Coordinates, but the space around it is… unusual. Reports of a massive unknown clock-like device, strange energy creatures causing ships and those onboard to age rapidly, the usual."_

"And what are the chances that this information will be irelevant trivia rather than unexpectedly significant to our journeys?" Ratchet joked.

" _I would say it's very likely,"_ replied Clank, giving a small chuckle.

Not far beyond the small swamp where the duo had defeated the Leviathan, Ratchet and Clank reached the city they'd spotted from a distance, which had a large sign proclaiming it as 'Cobalia Spaceport'.

"Guess this is Planet Cobalia," Ratchet offered as the duo moved into the city. As they entered the spaceport, a female voice spoke on the PA systems.

" _Attention citizens of Cobalia. The Imperial Defense Force reports that a Lombax has infiltrated this star sector. We must never forget the horrors and atrocities committed by the Lombax species, and cannot allow even one of these dreadful creatures to survive. Any citizen who sees the renegade Lombax is hereby encouraged not to fall for the Lombax's insidious mind tricks, and is authorized to use lethal and excruciatingly painful force in its capture. Also, today is Tachyon Appreciation Day. You must show your devotion to our leader by kneeling at the nearest Tachyon Appreciation Station."_

"Well, so much for anonymity," said Ratchet.

" _That would be assuming_ _anyone here knows what a Lombax looks like,"_ Clank pointed out. _"As long as we stay out of Tachyon and his soldiers' sight, no one should realize who we are."_

"I guess it's time to be casual, then," Ratchet said before the duo made their way into the Cobalia Spaceport, their first stop being the weapon vendor. Approaching the automated device, they discovered it was actually a remote uplink to a network.

 _"Welcome to Grummelnet's Weapon Shop,"_ a smooth and slick voice said through a communications grill. _"Here you can buy ammo, upgrade your weapon, or purchase new tools of destruction. Go ahead, name your poison."_

Ratchet and Clank glanced at each other nervously. "Umm...do you take Gadgetron bolt cards?" Ratchet asked.

 _"Gadgetron?"_ the voice replied in surprise. _"Huh. Didn't think anyone in the Polaris Galaxy would know that name."_

"So… do you?" Ratchet asked for clarification.

 _"Kid, Grummelnet is the Polaris branch of Gadgetron,"_ the voice replied. _"While regulations dictate we can't sell or deliver Solana weaponry to Polaris systems without written approval from Orvus Zoni, and considering he hasn't been seen or heard from since he paid a visit to some Tombli Outpost-"_

 _"Who?"_ Clank asked, the name ringing a chord in his programming.

 _"I dunno. It's just the name on the contracts,"_ the voice replied. _"But anyway, if you've got a Gadgetron account, I can sell you anything Grummelnet with whatever discounts and the like are attached to your account. Just insert your card, and we can get right to the dealing."_

Smiling, Ratchet inserted his bolt card into the indicated slot.

" _Well, shoot my dog and call me Sally!"_ the vendor proclaimed. " _If it ain't the Savior of Solana himself! What are you doing all the way out here in Polaris? You know it's a particularly dangerous place for a Lombax."_

"Our ship crashed in the swamp back there while it was on autopilot," said Ratchet. "What you got for weapons?"

 _"Fair enough,"_ the vendor said. " _As for hardware, thanks to the blueprints you and the Rangers got from the late Dr. Armin Nefarious' lab on Quartu, there's the brand new Tempest Launcher and Plasma Stalkers,"_ the vendor began, going into his spiel as the weapons in question were displayed. _"The Tempest Launcher, as the name indicates, launches a disc that produces an F6 tornado complete with massive bolts of lightning that you can remotely guide to destroy your enemies. The Trailer Park and Kansas Farm Girl are sold separately, unfortunately,"_ the vendor joked. " _The Plasma Stalkers function similarly to the old Plasma Beasts. Once launched, they lie in wait until anything designated 'hostile' enters their range, at which point they hone in and launch themselves at the target and burst into toxic and caustic goo. Excellent for getting past shields and taking down groups."_

"Oooh!" Ratchet crowed, rubbing his hands together in eagerness.

 _"We've also got some combat gadgets available, too,"_ the vendor continued. _"We have the Leech Bomb, which will drain nanotech right out of your enemies to replenish yours, and Confuzzler Gas, which, when thrown into a group of enemies, will poison them with a neurotoxin that will not only slowly kill them, but will also cause them to attack each other and inanimate objects like bolt crates."_

"We'll take everything!" Ratchet proclaimed happily. "How much will that put me out?"

 _"Barely a drop in the bucket, thanks to interest rates,"_ the vendor replied. _"Want to upgrade them, too? Your account's been credited a good amount of Raritanium, too."_

Ratchet's grin was almost vicious. "Yes!"

A few minutes later, Ratchet was equipped with all available weapons and battle gadgets, fully upgraded. Smiling, the Lombax and his small robotic companion continued onward through the port, looking for an available ship. Eventually, they came across a blue skinned, lizard faced sophont dressed as a pirate arguing with a huge headed and eyed parrot.

"Don't you lay this on me, you worthless sack of Kerchu sweat!" he was shouting. "You were supposed to watch the gel gauge!"

"AWK!" the parrot replied. "Blame the parrot! Always blame the parrot!"

" _Is everything all right, sir?"_ asked Clank.

"AWK! Imperial spies! Hide their bodies! AWK!" shouted the parrot, earning glares from Ratchet and Clank.

The blue skinned alien turned to face Ratchet and Clank with a chuckle. "Well, excuse my friend. In another life, Ah was called Senor Plot Convenience and he was Iagos, but these days we're just a couple of humble smugglers, unfairly hunted and persecuted wherever we go," The Smuggler said proudly. "Yep, it seems the Imperials have shut down the planet's geletonium planet. Without it, we can't refuel our ship. Way Ah see it, they must be…" The Smuggler continued, pulling up his eyepatch to glare at Ratchet and Clank. "...lookin' fer someone."

"Well, we're kinda stranded ourselves. Our ship crashed back there, and-"

"AWK! Kill 'em now! Sell their kidneys! AWK!" blurted the parrot, earning glares from everyone present.

"Well, Ah'll tell you what, friend. You get the gel pumps a-working and we'll… _procure_ … a vessel for you," said The Smuggler.

Ratchet and Clank thought about the offer for the better part of five seconds before Ratchet said, "Deal."

The Smuggler smiled and tossed them a device that resembled the Hydrodisplacer they used on their first adventure. "Here, you'll need this Gelanator," he said.

"Thanks," said Ratchet. "By the way, do you know anything about Leviathan Souls?"

The Smuggler chuckled. "Bolts in the bank, friend. Y'see, the Polaris Galaxy is crawling with all kinds of deadly creatures and monsters. Now, the larger ones carry in each of them a Leviathan Soul. Ah hunt 'em. Ah kill' em. Ah collect 'em. And then sell 'em. And Ah tell you what, you find any souls you be sure to bring 'em on back to me, ya hear? Ah'll give you a fair price fer 'em."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks," said Ratchet before he and Clank ventured into the Geletonium Plant to get it up and running again.

 _Twenty Minutes or So Later-What Did You Think I Was Gonna Bore You With Restoring The Gel Plant?_

Restoring the Gel Plant had been mostly uneventful. The only real issues had been the Consumer-Bots trying to eat the Gel Cubes that the Gelanator shot out when it was full, however this was easily dealt with by tossing a Groovitron into the air. Although, when the device played a techno remix of Courtney Gears' new single, Robots Across The Galaxy, Ratchet had a funny feeling that it had somehow made the Consumer-Bots more aggressive towards him and the baby dinosaur-like creatures that were also present in the plant.

All in all, despite the PA telling them that they were defying an Imperial Decree, Ratchet and Clank had managed to get the Gel Plant back up and running and were on their way back to The Smuggler, who was waiting for them outside a small, truck-like ship.

"So, how about that ride?" asked Ratchet.

"I'm heading ta Stratus City myself. That work for you?" asked The Smuggler.

"Sounds good," Ratchet agreed. "We'll figure out our own path from there."

"Then hop on in," he agreed, gesturing the Lombax and robot inside.

 _ **And thus concludes Chapter Two! I'd say things are moving along quite swimmingly in my opinion. And now, for some useless trivia! First off, Dr. Nefarious' first name in this chapter, Armin, is indeed named after his actor, Armin Shimerman. I mean, let's face it, Nefarious' first name can't be "Doctor." Also, Death to Squishies does actually play when you use the Groovitron in the Japanese versions of either Tools of Destruction or A Crack In Time, not sure which. Courtney Gears may be gone, but clearly she has never been forgotten. :( Also, the Smuggler really was going to be called Senor Plot Convenience in the beta for Tools of Destruction, and it's easy to see why. Wish Insomniac kept that name. Anyways, be sure to tune in next time for the fast-paced action in Stratus City! Be sure to fave, follow, and review, and Praise Nefarious!**_


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